Door check

ABSTRACT

DISCLOSES A DOOR CHECK INCLUDING AN ELONGATED FLUID CHAMBER DISPOSED BETWEEN THE PIVOTABLE EDGE OF A DOOR AND THE DOOR JAMB WITH ITS LONGI AXIS LYING PARALLEL TO THE LONG AXIS OF THE PIVOTABLE EDGE OF THE DOOR SO THAT THE FLUID CHAMBER COACTS WITH THE DOOR AND THE JAMB, AND FLUID WITHIN THE ELONGATED CHAMBER IS FORCED THROUGH AN ORIFICE TO A FLUID SOURCE. THUS, THE CHECK UTILIZES THE PRINCIPLE OF THE RESISTANCE OFFERED BY A FLUID, FORCED BY PRESSURE THROUGH A FIXED OPENING. DUE TO THE LENGTH OF THE ELONGATED FLUID CHAMBER, A RELATIVELY LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM CAN BE EMPLOYED.

' 3am. 12,1971 w. c. GAINES, JR 3,553,764

DOOR CHECK Filed March 5, 1969 INVENTOR. WI LL IAM C. GAINES,JR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,553,764 DOOR CHECK William C. Gaines, In, 326 E. College, Louisville, Ky. 40203 Filed Mar. 3, 1969, Ser. No. 803,572 Int. Cl. E051? 3/00 US. Cl. 16--84 16 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Discloses a door check including an elongated fluid chamber disposed between the pivotable edge of a door and the door jamb with its longaxis lying parallel to the long axis of the pivotable edge of the door so that the fluid chamber coacts with the door and the jamb, and fluid within the elongated chamber is forced through an orifice to a fluid source. Thus, the check utilizes the principle of the resistance olfered by a fluid, forced by pressure through a fixed opening. Due to the length of the elongated fluid chamber, a relatively low pressure system can be employed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to door checks of the type utilizing one or more fluid chambers in which fluid is forced through a fixed opening or orifice and the swing of the door is checked by the resistance offered by the flow of fluid through the fixed opening.

More specifically, this invention relates to a new low pressure large volume door check including an elongated fluid chamber disposed between the pivotable edge of the door and the door jamb and a source of fluid in which the fluid flowing from the elongated chamber to the source of fluid is slower than the fluid flowing from the fluid source to the elongated fluid chamber.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART One of the earliest door checks utilizing a principle of the resistance offered by a fluid passing through a fixed opening from one chamber to another was disclosed in the British Pat. 3,232 by Austin I. Maher in 1885. According to Maher, the flow of fluid from one chamber to another was restricted by a check valve held partially open in one direction but which allowed free flow in another direction. Thus, more resistance was oflFered by the fluid as it flowed from the compression chamber through the partially open check valve to the storage chember (as the door closed), than was offered when the fluid flowed from the storage chamber to the compression chamber (as the door opened).

This principle has been utilized in essentially all door checks proposed and utilized since that date, such as the door check proposed by K. Liebherr in German Pat. 318,373, 1920; by Karl Rabe in German Pat. 633,938, 1936; and by E Danner in US. Pat. 1,730,646, 1929. Further, other patents utilizing this and similar principles are disclosed in US. Pat. 933,076 to Houdaille; 1,341,395 to Sutton and 2,027,423 to Gardiner.

Nevertheless, door checks now in commercial use are quite heavy, utilize a high pressure hydraulic fluid, and project from the wall to present an unsightly appearance and get in the way. Accordingly, in many installations, it has been deemed necessary to provide an opening, either in the ceiling or in the floor in which to install the door check so that the mechanism is out of sight of the viewing public. Furthermore, since the door check is an externally fitted mechanism, with heavy doors, such as are used in commercial establishments, it is necessary that their construction be quite heavy and that the hydraulic fluid be under comparatively high pressure. Since 3,553,764- Patented Jan. 12, 1971 the force of hte check is exerted at one point, this creates an undesirable torque on the door.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, a variable volume, elongated fluid chamber is disposed between the pivotable edge of the door and the door jamb, with its long axis lying parallel to the long axis of the pivotable edge of the door so that said chamber coacts with the door and the door jamb to vary in volume relative to the position of the door. Connected to the elongated fluid chamber, by communication means, is a fluid source which receives fluid forced from the variable volume elongated fluid chamber through fluid flow regulating means in said communication means to said fluid source. Thus, the pressure or resistance offered by the fluid flowing from the elongated fluid chamber through the fluid flow regulating means checks the swing of the door as the door closes. The fluid flow regulating means allows the fluid to flow faster from the fluid source to the elongated fluid chamber as the door opens so as to ofler essentially little resistance to the opening of the door. The fluid source may be fluid stored in a storage chamber of ambient air. Due to the large area over which the forces are distributed, the entire system may be of comparatively low pressure and therefore inexpensive. The elongated fluid chamber, disposed between the edge of the door and the door jamb, maintains the door check out of sight of the observer and therefore offers esthetic appeal. The elongated fluid chamber, fabricated of material, such as polypropylene may be utilized as a hinge thus eliminating the need for additional hinges and thus, making the entire door assembly more tamperproof and less expensive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partially in perspective, of the door check of this invention, installed in proximity to a partially opened door.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view, taken along lines 22 of FIG. 1, illustrating the relation of the elongated fluid chamber to the pivotable edge of the door and the door jamb.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, illustrating the relationship of the elongated fluid chamber when the door is in closed position.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged view, partially diagrammatic, illustrating the orifice and check valve forming the fluid flow regulating means in communication with the ambient atmosphere as the fluid source.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view, in perspective, illustrating a method of closing the end of the elongated fluid chamber.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in detail, the door and frame assembly includes door jamb 1 and door 2 having a long vertically oriented pivotable edge 3. While the word jamb has been used throughout the specification and claims to indicate the structure in abutting relation with the edge of the door when closed, the term is intended to encompass the wall, frame or other structure which serves the same function as a jamb. Disposed between the vertically upright pivotable edge 3 of the door 2 and the jamb 1 is an elongated fluid chamber 4 having wall 5 secured to the door 2 and wall 6, secured to jamb 1. Walls 7 and 8 as illustrated in FIG. 2 are not secured to jamb or the door and thus are free to flex from the position shown in FIG. 2 in which walls 7 and 8 are at from each other to the position shown in FIG. 3 in which the walls 7 and 8 are lying parallel to each other in face to face relationship. The walls and 6 are separated by a flexible corner 9 while walls 6 and 7 are separated by flexible corner 10; walls 7 and 8 are separated by flexible corner 11 and walls 8 and 5 are separated by flexible corner 12. The flexible corners are of lesser thickness than the wall thickness. The elongated fluid chamber may be fabricated of many materials, however, a preferred material is polypropylene, which allows the wall material to flex and act as a hinge. Line 65 as illustrated in FIG. 2 is the bottom of the elongated fluid chamber. For this reason, stiffening members 13 are shown in each of the walls 5, 6, 7, and 8 to maintain the walls themselves relatively rigid but allowing each of the corners 9, 10, 11, and 12 to flex freely and in fact, serve as a hinge for the door.

The walls 5, 6, 7 and 8 surround the fluid chamber 15 which communicates by means of fluid connection means 18 with the storage chamber 21 (shown in the form of a bellows). Contained in the fluid communication means 18 is an adjustable orifice 20 and a check valve 19. Check valve '19 allows free flow from the storage chamber 21 to the fluid chamber 15 but does not allow flow from the elongated fluid chamber to the storage chamber 21. As is illustrated in FIG. 1, the bellows member opens into a metal casing 23 contained in the wall which contains a compression spring 22 which exerts a positive pressure on the bellows member 21 at all times in opposition to spring (not shown) which tends to shut the door.

As will be appreciated, as the door 2 is opened, fluid in the storage chamber 21 flows through the limited orifice 20 and the Wide open check valve 19 into the fluid chamber 15 of elongated fluid chamber 4. In some instances, if the door is opened rapidly, there may develop a vacuum,

causing the formation of vapor bubbles in the fluid. Therefore, if the door is opened and released rapidly, the pressure of outside atmosphere alone might be insufficient to force the fluid from the storage bellows 21 into the elongated fluid chamber 4, rapidly enough to avoid the vacuum caused bubbles, thus, allowing the door to slam as the bubbles collapse, rather than closing slowly as fluid flows through the orifice 20 into the bellows 21. For this reason, a compression spring 23 is interposed in metal casing 22, so as to be biased against the bellows 21 to place a positive pressure on the fluid in the storage chamber 21 and thus force fluid from fluid chamber 21 through the orifice 20 and the open check valve 19 into the fluid chamber 15 of elongated fluid chamber 4 as the door is opened. As the door closes, the check valve 19 does not allow fluid flow through it thus forcing the fluid to flow through the limited orifice 20. This builds a back pressure which is exerted against the pivotable edge 3 of door 2 thus causing the door to close slowly and smoothly. Since the pressure is exerted along the length of the door, there is not an undesirable torque placed on the door around its horizontal axis such as is the case in some instances where a conventional door check is attached either to the bottom or the top of the door, thus placing all the pressure of the closing door at one point thereon. This unsymmetrical torque or load is particularly undesirable with light weight doors such as storm doors and may cause such doors to bend or warp. As is illustrated, the elongated fluid chamber 4 is secured through wall 5 to the door and wall 6 to the jamb from joint 60 to point 61, leaving the distance from point 60 to point 63 unattached at the bottom. The distance from point 61 to the top of the elongated fluid chamber 4 is also unattached. The elongated fluid chamber is closed by various means, as for example by bringing the various walls 5, 6, 7 and 8 into parallel relationship and in some instances, these may be heat sealed as at 65. However, in other instances, heat sealing may not be sufficient so that a compression strap 70 in the form of an endless ring is made, having a cap 71 soldered thereto and containing holes 73, which are in registry with holes 72 in the bottom of elongated chamber 4. Bolts 75 fit through the holes 72 and 73 and are engaged with nut 74 and tightened. The entire compression strap and end 65 of the 4 elongated fluid chamber 4 are filled with a sealant which is allowed to set and completely seal the end of the memher.

In some instances, it is possible to utilize a hollow bolt 75h through one of the holes 72 or 73. The shaft of bolt 75/1 contains a slot 76 which communicates with bore 77 so that fluid communication means 18 can be attached to the bolt and so that the entire volume of fluid from fluid chamber 4 may be forced through the slot 76 and bore 77 of hollow bolt 75h and thence through communication means 18 to storage chamber 21.

What is claimed is:

1. For use with a jamb and a door hung along its pivotable edge to said jamb, a door check comprising:

(A) a variable volume, elongated fluid chamber, disposed between the jamb and the pivotable edge of the door, said chambers long axis lying substantially parallel to the long axis of said pivotable edge of said door,

(1) said chamber being responsive to the movement of said door so as to vary in volume responsive to said doors position;

( B) a source of fluid, and,

(C) communication means between said elongated,

fluid chamber and said source of fluid,

(1) said communication means including:

fluid flow regulating means which allows a faster flow rate in one direction than in another.

2. A door check, as defined in claim 1, in which said source of fluid is a storage chamber.

3. A door check, as defined in claim 2, in which said storage chamber is an expansible chamber.

4. A door check, as defined in claim 2, the further combination therewith of means to keep the fluid in the storage chamber under positive pressure.

5. A door check, as defined in claim 2, in which said fluid communication means is a member which extends to a storage chamber remotely situated relative to said elongated fluid chamber.

6. A door check, as defined in claim 1, in which said elongated fluid chamber is substantialy equal in length to said long axis of said pivotable edge of the door.

7. A door check, as defined in claim 1, in which said elongated fluid chamber contains at least two elongated walls.

(A) one wall of said elongated fluid chamber is attached to the pivotable edge of the door and another wall of said fluid chamber is attached to said jamb.

8. A door check as defined in claim 7 in which said fluid chamber has four walls and said wall attached to said door is adjacent to the wall attached to said jamb.

9. A door check, as defined in claim 7, the further combination of a line of flection between adjacent walls, said line running parallel with the long axis of said chamber, and acting as a hinge for said door.

10. A door check, as defined in claim 7, in which the attached walls flex into parallel relation when the door is closed.

11. A door check, as defined in claim 1, in which said fluid flow regulating means includes an orifice.

12. A door check, as defined in claim 1, in which said fluid regulating means includes a check valve.

13. A door check, as defined in claim 12, the further combination therewith of an orifice, connected in parallel with said check valve.

14. A door check, as defined in claim 1, the further combination therewith of a sealing member for sealing the end of said elongated fluid chamber comprising:

(A) a compression strap on either side of said chamber,

(B) bolts for drawing said straps toward each other,

(C) a sealant over the entire sealing structure.

15. A door check, as defined in claim 14, in which:

(A) the compression strap of said sealing member is in the form of an endless ring and a cap for said ring is soldered to said ring in fluid tight connection.

16. A door check, as defined in claim 1, in which said elongated fluid chamber includes a Wall portion.

(A) the middle portion of the wall portion along the long axis of said chamber being attached to said jamb; and

(B) a length of said wall portion extending from said middle portion to the end of said chamber, being unattached.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,730,646 10/1929 Dannner 16-84 1,834,671 12/1931 Armistead. 16-84 FOREIGN PATENTS 633,938 8/1936 Germany 1684 DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner 

